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Just finished reading the last two installments. Wow. Thank you for sharing them. What a beautiful tale. I wish it didn't end and that we got to see the conversation with the prayer cloth. Good work, dear.

via smoke signals from my Fire

Thanks, that means a lot coming from you, my dear writer.

I'm actually going to do another installment that starts up a while after this moment and delve into the cloth/person relationship while Ridie tries to make changes in her life. We'll see!

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My first attempt was a historical fiction about a teenage girl in the middle of a medieval civil war. That story had issues, though. I took a little time off to write a few pieces of fan fiction. Now I'm about to start a new original story for Nanowrimo -- a contemporary fantasy about finding and industrializing the banks of the River Styx.

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My first attempt was a historical fiction about a teenage girl in the middle of a medieval civil war. That story had issues, though. I took a little time off to write a few pieces of fan fiction. Now I'm about to start a new original story for Nanowrimo -- a contemporary fantasy about finding and industrializing the banks of the River Styx.

Did you trash the first attempt or did you just shelve it? I find it very interesting to go back to stuff I wrote before and see what it is that I would do now.

The River Styx Bank story sounds like it will be great fun.

And we will always be your Nerds, nerd.

Happily.

YAY!!

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The hot malt was more than she had asked for. But one does their best to keep the peace in this particular establishment. The windows were yellow with smoke and grime, never having the experience of elbow grease. The chair were an old plastic, more like rubber. The checkered designs, everywhere, were of different sizes and discoloration. The closer you go to the back room, the cleaner the diner got, until at last, you stood in the private room. Reserved for congress folk and any other political type, Ridie wasn't interested in staying long. Too many secrets get loose in this room and this secret could not afford any more attention than it got last night.

She fiddles with her shirt buttons and keeps an eye on the one window. No one ever came through the doorway, not anyone of interest anyhow. Ridie had just glided in without so much as a by-your-leave. The diner patrons were chin deep in the gravy covered special of the day. The window is sort of camouflaged from the outside. If you didn't know it was there, you may walk by without ever considering the possibility. The street art helped a lot. The rivals were in the middle of another tag war. You could only smell paint and stone dust when you came to this part of town.

The politicians that used this place weren't shady, not really. They were working with the underground folks who ran more than their fair share of the puppets in government. So they got the laws whittled down enough that medicine and food and weapons could flow more freely among the lower levels of the station. No one would be surprised if the arrangement was officially discovered. But eyes were paid to look in more suitable area of life, creating havoc on the ground families. Ridie's father still worked the farm to which he paid forty five percent of his profit to the council in exchange for what? Jarring roads, intermittent train schedules, and hospitals with a 36 hour emergency wait list.

When skirmishes broke out on ground, or below, the station would be knee-deep in funerals and illegal body dumps. The mob was ever grateful for the mass graves. After the urchins robbed the bodies, it was almost impossible to id the folks in the grave unless they were marked. Those were few these days as most of the machinery and computers were designated for war use only. Fighting for thirty-five years is too much for any civil war.

"How can I be of service, Missâ€¦" The voice was familiar, but it sounded thin and tired.

"Hello Marten."

"Ah. Ridie. You made it back to planet-side. How encouraging." Marten seemed genuinely happy which made Ridie more nervous.

"What is happening that you are so glad to see me?" She probes without tact or emotion. The last two years have stolen many things from her.

"Surely you know about the raid on our fleet hangers? Sixteen ships vandalized and five were destroyed beyond repair. Sand and corrosive jelly were used abundantly. Savages." His voice went nasty almost without thought. Generations of teachings have taken root in most of her generation. The other, for they are given no name, are just evil and must be removed from the planet and the way station orbiting above.

"Did anyone take credit?"

"They have no honor! How could you think they would take responsibility and explain their attack! What has gotten into you? Too long from the front lines" The venom was as unconscious as the distain for the Others. It's just what you said and how you said it if anyone showed mercy or interest in the Others. Ridie shook her head in disappointment, disguising it as an apology to Marten.

"It has been awhile since I've been involved directly." She lowers her voice only a touch to convey apology but no shame. Shame was the undoing of a warrior or soldier and she had had plenty to work through these past few years.

"Look just watch what you say for a few days and I'm sure it'll come back as natural as when you were a babe. I know you well enough to know, you would never give the Others an inch! You are the best soldier we have out there. We are in your debt forever." It didn't sound like the usual crap she's heard before. The hero returns, we all must bow to her and scrape and bless her. Moons Above, she hated the artificial emoting that always came with being home. Hearing Marten just state his feelings like that, well, it was refreshing. And very helpful, if things were going to work out the way she wanted.

"You're right, friend, thanks for the reminder. Being two-faced out there is how you survive. It's a hard thing to break, but I will. You'll see." She puts on a genuine grin and shoves a box over to him with her foot.

"This is it? It's so small. I thought we'd get more."

"You will but not all at one time. I already explained that once. I donâ€™t like repeating myself. Remind them of that when you deliver this."

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Nope. I think my body would be happy with them. It's more about russets and fries. Small whites and reds will likely be fine once in awhile, but the go-to that I've been using potatoes for has to go.

If I can get decent carbs (pasta and rice are better for my body - at least that's what my body is saying) and get rid of most potato carbs, I think I'd feel better. Plus getting to where I'm eating better grains would help as well.

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spaghetti with chicken, spinach, zucchini, and red peppers in basil tomato sauce. I wish I could say I made that but I didn't, and water

chicken cutlets with bbq sauce and peas, and water

carrot larabar and water

1 tbsp of peanut butter

workout/BW:

2 hikes - 1 long and 1 med with freezing rain just for kicks!

some mobility work on quads and back -- need to do more, much more!

home:

nada

write:

nada

Worked on Nerd Fitness stuff

Chatted online with a friend

I took a nap because I've been getting to bed later than I'd like. It was toasty but then had to get up and do the second hike.

I played some Astro Empires and Hay Day

Groomed the dog

Refilled the pellet stove

I don't know why, but there are two things I really want to get done and I'm avoiding them.

One is get ahold of a friend whom I did not call when I said I would

and Two is work on the business plan so I can get on an insurance plan for therapy and PT (working with disabilities program)

Then there's the newer aspect of my business. There's knowing I want to be an energy healer and actually making it real. I've struggled for 2 decades trying to decide whether I do it for free or trade. And now that I have decided, I thought it would be easier to follow through with, but it seems that is not the case. It will happen, it's just still a hard thing to do. I reckon that will be the focus of my next challenge even though I'm starting it now. I may need some serious support with this one. Thanks in advance. ;-)

I find myself hoping too much and not doing enough to make things happen. I need a plan for this week. So where there are free spots during the week, I want to do the following things: write, work on biz plan, call and apologize to friend, mobility, read The Shamanic Witch by Gail wood, and not get side-tracked by Netflix!